Woodward is critical of the fact that today’s journalists cover presidential speeches that represent weeks of work in a matter of minutes with a blog and a tweet. Taking no time to reflect and critically analyze, journalists hastily move on to a new topic after a post on their blog.

But regardless of whether it is openly discussed or not, as long as the world’s economy runs on oil, as it seems will be the case for at least the next few decades, Middle Eastern conflicts will continue to have a disproportionate impact on the global economy.

We have to keep studying, debating, testing new strategies, and sharing our experiences with each other and those who will come after, and along the way, we will win.

For those dying daily in Syria, all of our talk of bringing freedom to the world is illusory. The rhetoric only works if we act exceptionally, and right now America has a long way to climb.

If current trends continue, the opposite policy strategy, with its efforts directed toward numbers – quantity rather than quality – will give rise to a larger biological predicament that we may not be able to extricate ourselves from.

With only two weeks left, a slip here, a fumble there, and it could be game over.

Andrew Tan is a School of Engineering and Applied Science sophomore. He can be reached at alt2140@columbia.edu

Talking to Columbia students Tuesday night on behalf of the Kenneth Cole Foundation, Mayor Cory Booker of Newark, New Jersey discussed love, hope, change, and this generation’s imperative to tackle the hard issues.

As a fiscally moderate Democrat, I hope a real primary in the Republican Party is used to properly gather attention for the general election candidacy of a “New York Republican” — a strong leader who combines fiscally conservative policies without adopting social policies of the current GOP.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s rather literal interpretation the concept of a “red line” at the United Nations last month puzzled many, but it should draw as much worry as it draws laughter. It is no secret that Israel and the United States would prefer an Iran without nuclear weapons. Yet, the Obama administration’s disapproval of a unilateral Israeli strike and its lack of interest in initiating its own strike leave Israel in a rather awkward situation.

The fact is, however, that the European Union is one of the most exciting and ambitious challenges ever set in motion by politicians. Nobel Peace Prize or not, it deserves to prevail.